*No Spoilers*

Romances are quick. Love stories take longer, but are worth the wait. Jessica Park’s Left Drowning is living proof of this idea as we ride the waves with Blythe and Christopher and all the Shepherds. This could have been trite, but it’s not. It’s devastating and rewarding and beautifully crafted. Park’s gift for inner-dialogue, noticed in her previous YA novel, Flat Out Love, has grown and blossomed in Left Drowning.

The characters are impossible not to love after just a few pages, even when they’re not particularly loveable. This novel’s plot rests a great deal on past tragedy, but even more so on the perseverance that leads to healing. The story arcs around perfectly, handing you a deeply satisfying resolution while making you hope there’s a Flat Out Matt option for Left Drowning. I will never shake these characters off, not that I’d want to.

Early in the story, Blythe comments, “Some people believe in God. I believe in Chris.” Well, I believe in Jessica Park. Have faith in her storytelling and you will be rewarded.

*Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book.

Available July 16, 2013